MACKINAW MEMORIES: The Ultimate Evolution of Outerwear by William Ziegler

My Filson Mackinaw story begins long ago…in the winter of 2012. I am a self-affirmed outerwear aficionado. I own high-tech down jackets and waterproof parkas. I own motorcycle jackets. Classic black pea coats. A shearling car coat. A wool greatcoat. And on and on. My wife has to remind me to buy socks and periodically “misplaces” my rattiest t-shirts, but my outerwear collection is the one area of clothing that I truly love.

I had heard of Filson and their legendary wool garments. I had been searching for a heavy all-wool jacket. Not 60/40. Not 80/20. Not 90/10. One-hundred percent pure wool. Well, last January I bought a Filson Double Mackinaw in Charcoal. It is the ultimate evolution of outerwear. Now I understand. Is it absurd that I didn’t want to stop wearing it after Winter had passed? Is it absurd that I tried it on once in June just because I missed wearing it? Yes…it’s completely absurd! I can’t explain it. The coat has the widest range of temperature I’ve ever felt. I wore it in bone-chilling weather with a sweater underneath and was toasty. It was sixty degrees outside and rather than grabbing one of my lightweight jackets I wore the Double Mac. Crazy except that I wasn’t too warm. It was just right. I can go on for days about details – how I love that the inner sleeve can go inside the side pocket while the outer sleeve covers all and keeps the wind at bay. Or the fact that my Kindle fits perfectly in one of the top pockets.

I’m aware that my Mackinaw story isn’t one for the ages. My grandfather didn’t hand it down to me after using it as a middle layer while climbing Everest, but I am definitely going to complete the holy trinity of outerwear when I purchase a Single Mac and a Mackinaw Vest. I’m looking forward to handing them down to someone someday. In an age of more/cheaper/faster it’s inspiring that a company still values quality and value over profits and trends. Keep up the great work.

Share your own memories about your Filson Mackinaw Cruiser. We want to hear who wore it, where it’s been and how it performed for you. You can include photos or not. If you just want to send a photo, that’s OK, too. We will go through all the stories and select the best. The winner will receive a free new Mackinaw Cruiser. Click here to enter.